Gardens vegetable, flower or other?

[mannySpaghetti]

I'm looking forward to hopefully moving next spring or summer to NH. If i manage to get my way, that house will be sitting on a good bit of property and then I can grow my own dang vegetables like my family used to when I was a kid. We've become way too reliant on "foraging" at the grocery store. Hell, if things turn out, I might have to buy me a chicken or two for some fresh eggs and maybe some.....wings!

 

[rumblefish]

Suffice it to say that the Quince tree/bush is going to get a good shearing this year. I really can't use what it produces.

Threats don't work for better tasting fruit?

 

[rumblefish]

I'm looking forward to hopefully moving next spring or summer to NH. If i manage to get my way, that house will be sitting on a good bit of property and then I can grow my own dang vegetables like my family used to when I was a kid. We've become way too reliant on "foraging" at the grocery store. Hell, if things turn out, I might have to buy me a chicken or two for some fresh eggs and maybe some.....wings!

I'll mail you some seeds for a house/garden warming.

 

[jamespowers]

Threats don't work for better tasting fruit?

Even the best Quince are horrible straight from the tree. How much better could they possibly taste?

 

[jamespowers]

I'll mail you some seeds for a house/garden warming.

Some prize winning seeds?

 

[rumblefish]

Some prize winning seeds?

Ahem,,, It seems I have a few of 'em this year.

Good thing my wife doesn't read this, she's good and sick of hearing about all this.:whistling

 

[jamespowers]

Ahem,,, It seems I have a few of 'em this year.

Good thing my wife doesn't read this, she's good and sick of hearing about all this.:whistling

Well, that's just because it validates all the time you spend in the garden.

 

[fortworthgal]

Well, my garden didn't do well this year... largely because I planted too late and our summer was wicked hot! Right now with our excess of rain and cool air, I'm inundated with tomatoes and peppers! I suppose a late harvest is better than none at all.

 

[Joie DeVive]

Well, it isn't gardening season, but it is heading towards garden planning season. In that spirit, I thought I would share a really great store my MIL took me to over in Petaluma, CA. It's called The Seed Bank and has heirloom seeds. It is an amazing place, and I came home with a small collection.

Here's an article on the store:
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090611/COMMUNITY/906119937?Title=Old-bank-building-goes-to-seed-

And here's the headquarters including online catalog:
http://rareseeds.com/

Happy gardening!

 

[Warden]

On a related theme

This looks worth going to,

Edna and I plan to whizz down to see it

http://london.iwm.org.uk/server/show/conEvent.3167

Harry

 

[Warden]

Featured on BBC Radio 4 was an interesting article on Rationing / Victory Gardens.

The report says "It is 70 years since the introduction of ration books and the call to 'Dig For Victory' - and the Imperial War Museum in London is taking a nostalgic look back at how people adapted to the wartime food shortages".

See

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8511000/8511309.stm

 

[jamespowers]

The update to this thread reminds me I have to go out and spray the peach, nectarines and grapes with liquid copper before bud break. :eusa_doh:
I hope its a better year than last year with the hungry hippo squirrels and my dog getting a good amount of the crops.

 

[rumblefish]

The update to this thread reminds me I have to go out and spray the peach, nectarines and grapes with liquid copper before bud break. :eusa_doh:

How do apples and pears do by you. Is fire blight an issue?

 

[Colonel]

I just received my seeds on Wednesday. Appropriately enough to this thread, I ordered them from the Victory Seed Company as I have been doing for years. This year, I am trying something different. I am going to a modified version of the Square Foot Garden system. It is basically container gardening on platforms that I have built. Each platform holds a total of 24 square feet of garden area. I currently have 4 platforms and the materials to build 2 more (just haven't gotten around to it yet). I had to come up with a way to avoid the nematodes that are endemic in this area. After a few years, a "Miracle-Gro" garden will end up as a pitiful looking collection of wilted and stunted plants that produce little or nothing.

Another advantage of this system is that it brings the plants to a good comfortable working height (30") and it keeps it away from many pests that would otherwise feast on the plants. I have been taking photos and documenting the project and will eventually publish sort of a How-to article on the web. I'd add a photo here, but the last time I tried to insert a photo in a thread here, all that came up was a link - the photo didn't show up as it normally would in a forum. Oh well.

 

[jamespowers]

How do apples and pears do by you. Is fire blight an issue?

I spray both with Liquid copper as well for fire blight and other diseases.
They come out fine. We worry more about coddling moths and their wormy kids. :eusa_doh:

 

[jamespowers]

I checked out fireblight and I am glad I have never seen it.
I guess you would have to spray with antibiotics to get rid of it.

 

[Foofoogal]

Yaegers had seeds for .05 a pack yesterday. Bought .80 cents worth. 3 kinds of tomatoes. I figure if I get one tomato out of the packs they have paid for themselves.

Food in the grocery stores is ridiculous. A pot on a patio if nothing else is worth at least attempting it. Flower beds may have corn growing in them this year. If I can keep the deer and rabbits from eating everything.

 

[jamespowers]

Aside from pulling weeds and speading the ashes from the fireplace around the yard in planting areas, I have not done much to get the garden started just yet. It has been too cold and rainy to get much done anyway.
I did plant a Lime tree (Tahitian Lime) last week. It was already in the same spot in a pot. I was just checking to see that it was a good spot for it to remain for a long time. No frost damage etc., so it went into the dirt.
I also planted a few new rose bushes to replace some dead ones. A Madame Apolline Foulon:

and Hermosa:

That was about it so far.

 

[rumblefish]

I did plant a Lime tree (Tahitian Lime) last week.

OK, back on track!


The spinach is all still there from last years late planting, just waiting for some 40 to 50 degree nights.
Now there is a few inches of snow, not enough to CC ski on, but enough to need boots to go add to the compost pile.
Tomorrow,,, more snow, wet snow.:rage:

 

[jamespowers]

OK, back on track!


The spinach is all still there from last years late planting, just waiting for some 40 to 50 degree nights.
Now there is a few inches of snow, not enough to CC ski on, but enough to need boots to go add to the compost pile.
Tomorrow,,, more snow, wet snow.:rage:

Wonderful. :eusa_doh: I think I'll stay on this coast for a while.
I am surprised spinach lasted through that kind of weather. Then again, I was surprised when the garlic that I forgot about last season is coming up this season in the same spot. Free garlic is always nice.
Don't slip on the snow on the way out to the compost pile. :eusa_doh: